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School health service—The number of children referred for treatment from school medical
inspections continues to decrease. This is partly due to the improvement in health of the
school children and partly due to the fact that many mothers prefer to take their children
to their family doctor. There has been an increase in the numbers of children attending
the special investigation clinics at John Dixon and Stockwell centres; this is in part due
to the fact that many secondary school girls prefer the opportunity offered at these clinics
of consulting a woman doctor.
Particular attention has been given to tracing all cases of deafness in school children
and to ensuring that all children suffering from any degree of deafness were included on
the deaf register. The number on the register rose from 124 in 1961 to 167 in 1962.
Handicapped children—A register has been compiled of all handicapped children in the
division under five who are so handicapped that it appears they are likely to need special
educational facilities when they reach the age of five. The register is made up from information
received from health visitors and all cases are kept carefully under review to ensure
that treatment and assistance is being given and to arrange in good time for educational
provision. This register has proved most valuable; there were about 180 children on it
during the year, about two-thirds of whom were mentally handicapped.
Prevention of break-up of families—The work of the divisional co-ordinating committee
has been steadily increasing. Five meetings of the full committee and 64 intermediate
case conferences were held during the year. A total of 243 notifications were received
of tenants who were being considered for eviction because of rent arrears—72 from the
L.C.C. Housing department and 171 from the borough councils. There would appear to
be a growing tendency towards irresponsibility in payment of rent among problem and
potential problem families and it has often been very difficult to prevent evictions.
There are about 200 families at present on the co-ordinating committee files; 55 of these
are receiving casework from the Family Service Unit (39 families), the Children's department
intensive caseworker (14 families) and the Public Health department case consultant
(two families). The work of giving assistance to the remaining families falls on the health
visitors and social workers in the division.
DIVISION 9, comprising the boroughs of Wandsworth and Battersea
Dr. J. T. R. Lewis reports:
Maternity and child welfare—St. Christopher's welfare centre, a purpose built centre
incorporated in a Battersea Borough Council block of flats, was formally opened in July.
The centre, which replaces two welfare centres accommodated respectively in an old school
and in public baths and a school treatment centre in a converted shop, provides a full
range of maternity, child welfare and school treatment services, with a total of no less
than 42 sessions weekly.
Patmore infant welfare centre was opened in March, in the tenants' clubroom on the
Council's Patmore Estate, for one infant welfare session a week and a session held at a
public baths was discontinued.
Three occasional creches, where mothers can leave their children for a morning or an
afternoon, were added to the existing provision.
Chiropody service—A foot clinic for one session weekly was started in the area of the
Argyle and Ackroyden Estates, Wimbledon Park Side.
Prophylaxis—The sudden increased demand by the public in the early part of the year
for protection against smallpox was met by the opening, to the extent necessary, of special
sessions at conveniently situated centres.
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